Canine Conundrum
by KatherineMP20
Summary: The guys earn their own show and invite all their friends to be on it. Katie's -OC- dog Shadow, joins the cast after being recommended by the guys for several parts due to past training by Katie and her gifted ability to train and handle dogs as well as her knowledge. As trained as he is, sometimes things go wrong
1. Prologue

_***AN* I'd like to start off by saying that one of my stories had been removed. Visit my profile for more details. This story was in my head for a while, in fact I had hinted about it a while back in the AN of one of my other stories from Christmas and earlier. This chapter covers some background and I thought about leaving it as a separate story. The background chapter is actually partly true/comes from my life. Shadow is my dog, my best bud. We make a great team and he is a very quick learner and eager to does go with me to many places, and has made a few appearances at my college. However, the basis of the story comes from a training/emergency patrol we had done the other day. some of his behavior/ training in this chapter are from that day, but Shadow has never formally acted. Summary for story to come later- prologue summary below***_

_***Summary (for prologue only): Shadow, Katie's beloved companion, joins her on the acting circuit. All goes well during a trial period to test Shadow's ability to act. Training all his life for many jobs has prepared him for this moment.***_

Kendall was in his room taking a much needed nap when a stage hand, Hank, one of the casts best friends, walked in to ask a question. Seeing him asleep, he decided to find someone else. He walked through the halls and quickly found the Jennifers but they ignored him like always so he didn't even bother. He kept going, giving up hope before he walked by the lounge and did a double take as he backed up to see Mrs. Knight reading a magazine and sipping a mocha chino.

"Finally! I found someone I can talk to. Mrs. Knight, have you seen Katie at all? I've been looking all over for her and I cant find her or anyone to ask."

"Oh yes, she is with Logan, Lucy, and Camille playing some baseball in the back lot. Do you need her on set?"

"No, actually, the director wants a dog in one of the scenes and since she trains dogs and her dog Shadow seems pretty tame, he thought maybe we could borrow him."

"That's a good idea, I'm sure she would love to have him with her. She takes that dog everywhere with her, they are inseparable. He really is a good dog, too. The only thing is, that he really only listens to her and is protective of her so I would listen to what she says and don't try to force her out of the picture."

"Got it, I'll let Paul know. I better go catch them in the back before she disappears on me again!" Hank said leaving the room in a hurry. He ran out the back door that was propped open and saw the group running around in a makeshift baseball diamond. He waited a bit, since he wasn't in a big hurry to let them finish the current hit. Katie was up at bat, Logan pitching and she missed the first one, fouled the second but the third one she hit a near home run. She made it to second before Lucy got the ball and threatened an out. Hank took the opportunity to get their attention. The group stopped what they were doing when they saw their buddy come down the stairs and greeted him.

"Katie, I've been looking all over for you! Paul wanted me to ask if you would be willing to let us use Shadow for a scene. It would be under your instruction of course, we will provide anything he needs. Its just that it would be cheaper to use him since he's already trained and then we don't have to pay an actor."

"Sure I guess. Depends on what you want him to do, plus he will need time to adjust and learn his actions or whatever. He's trained to do different things but he still needs a trial run. I cant expect him to get it right on the first try. He needs at least a week."

"Sure. I'll let Paul know and then get back to you with any details of what he'll require and what he might need to do. Thanks."

"No problem." she said as he left up the stairs he was inside and out of sight and she turned back to her friends to go back to playing when he came out again.

"Almost forgot, Katie, you and Logan are due on set in 30 minutes. Visit hair and make-up."

"Got it." Logan replied.

Time passed quickly and Logan and Katie were in the midst of their shoot which lasted about an hour. They got a quick break while Kendall was prepped for his appearance. In minutes they were back on the set and off again in just over an hour. This time Katie wanted a nap but before hand, Hank caught up with her to tell her that Paul agreed to the time she would need with Shadow and if it helped, she could bring him in tomorrow to get started although the real thing wouldn't be until next week. She agreed and they discussed a few ground rules and needs before excusing her self for a nap. She had an old document on her computer pertaining to Shadow's 'rider' so to speak for jobs as well as his contract. She looked them over real quick, made some edits and then emailed them to Hank to look over and make his own changes if he needed too.

The next day, Katie was a bit late but she had been excused to have some extra time to prep for Shadow's arrival. All of the cast and crew were big animal lovers so there were no problems there, however, security in general wasn't fond of dogs on the set just for the clean-up factor. Nevertheless, Shadow made his appearance tail high and wagging, full of curiosity as he explored his new surroundings. He had never been here before and as part of previous training, he was very interested in making sure this was suitable for his master although she seemed pretty calm about it and eventually Shadow settled down.

Shadow was an older dog at nearly 9 but he had a lot of energy when needed. He was a relaxed and reserved dog in general but had a tendency to be over enthusiastic at times. He was intelligent and eager to please which made him the perfect dog to train. He only needed to be guided through something 4-5 times before he got the hang of it and then with practice, he was a master at the craft.

Katie set up a place for him in her dressing room; his bed, toys and bowls were scattered around and he sniffed around before settling on her couch in a ball, looking at her with curious eyes asking if she was going to make him move. But she didn't and let him stay, giving him some love and pets. He was spoiled in a way and had free reign to do as he pleased but Katie still held the law and Shadow respected that. She left her door open but to avoid any mishaps, she brought one of her baby gates from home to keep him from leaving. He could jump it with ease but he didn't feel the need to exert himself since Katie was right there, he didn't want to get into trouble or leave her side. Even though this was informal, Shadow felt like he was working and stuck by her side.

After an hour and a half of free time to get settled, she was called to set. Shadow followed her but she put the gate up, trapping him inside. He looked at her confused as too why he had to stay behind, wagging his tail lightly and looking at the gate and then to her to hint that he wanted to go.

"Be a good, boy. I'll be right back." She said. She always said those words anytime that she left him behind. He knew the words and would just give sad eyes as she closed the door but sucked it up and sat on the stairs of her house as he waited for her to return. He whined a little bit to get her attention as she turned to walk away but when she didn't come back he howled and barked for a few seconds, spooking everyone around and making them stare.

Katie ignored his behavior and the others were shocked at Shadows sudden attitude but when they saw it didn't phase her, they just waited and in less than 30 seconds, Shadow stopped and huffed at the gate, watching Katie walk away. Once she was out of sight, Shadow yawned, whined, and yelped twice before turning away and walking in a circle in her room. He didn't lay down right away and just kept looking out the door to see what was going on and what people were doing but once he realized he was being ignored he got comfortable on his mat and took a nap.

He was sound asleep when Katie came back an hour later to get him for a practice scene. She called to him but he didn't wake up, instead he was flinching and growling in his sleep. She yelled his name but still soft enough to avoid spooking him and after a couple calls he managed to snap out of his dream and looked up groggily. Confused at his surroundings he got up quickly and just growled as he gained his bearings before wagging his tail and pinning his ears as he pranced to Katie to greet her, happy as can be. Knowing he'd be a little hyper, she clipped a leash on him instead of letting him follow her.

She made a quick stop outside to exercise him before making her way to the set. Naturally Shadow was a little put off by all the sights, sounds, smells and people. He had done acting jobs before but only small amateur performances like a children's play not a huge production like this. With Katie by his side, who wasn't worried at all about all the equipment, he quickly calmed down but still showed his concern by pulling away and whining.

Katie reassured him and he leaned into her for protection. Paul approached her and Shadow again got nervous and this time jumped backwards before letting out a snort. Katie had good control on him, letting him do what he wanted and then circled him to 'round up' where she wanted him to go rather than pulling, which he would then refuse to move. Once he was settled, Paul explained what he wanted Shadow to do and Katie tweaked it slightly to fit his training. They had the afternoon to practice, since the set they were using was no longer needed for the day.

It was a simple shoot, Shadow was to run across the pool set, originally jumping into the pool but because Shadow dislikes water, he would not go in on command and it could prove to be dangerous for him to be pushed, pulled or tossed in. Instead he would run towards the pool, stop dead and if it worked out, someone would trip over him into the pool or Shadow's agility training would make him do a sharp turn to avoid the pool but whoever was following wouldn't be as lucky.

The trick was getting Shadow near the pool and learn that he just needed to be near it but he wasn't going to get wet. It took several attempts for him to get close but step one was done in a half hour and the rest was done in the next hour. Shadow learned quickly although mastering his tricks was a different story. It took about 3 days before Shadow did his stunt without fail, however they had all been dry runs without added distractions that would be in the final product.

Adding the distractions made everything start over from scratch. Shadow refused to step near the pool and was frightened when someone flew over him into the pool. It was quickly wiped from the script and would go to agility. A rougher terrain was placed on Shadow's route to help him identify where to go and to avoid him falling or slipping as he turned. A run through went nearly perfect and with additional training he would do just fine.

By week's end, just before filming the scene, shadow was ready. It was decided to do his scene first to get it over and done with and it took several takes. Shadow was rewarded each time and Katie was right there watching to make sure he was happy and well as well as to give him commands. Shadow was confused at some points and just sat, per his training. Katie did a few run threw's by his side and once he got it and was focused she left him to do his work. He watched her closely and like magic, he performed with grace and precision on the first try. A round of applause came around and Shadow couldn't have been happier.

A second and third shot was done just to make sure there were options and he still did the same thing and was great. Everyone was nervous and had gotten their hopes up thinking that Shadow couldn't do this after all but Shadow was just as nervous and just needed some reassurance. The drastic change the day of shooting surprised everyone and Shadow earned himself a permanent position as part of the cast.


	2. Chapter 1

_***AN* Ok the story starts now. It should be short, I'm not going to go into much detail after the main plot point happens, just enough to clear up some questions and it will be based on personal encounters. Enjoy.  
**_

_**Paul,the director and Hank the stage hand are fictional characters, they are the first two names that popped into my head so any similarities are purely coincidental. Paul and Hank have made appearances in previous stories and will be making future appearances as well.  
**_

It had been a year since Shadow arrived and his success rate was 96% as far as learning a routine flawlessly. He was 10 years old and lively but his age meant health and movement decreases, but he was forgiven and given the extra time to learn. As with any animal actor, there were mishaps but nothing quite like the one that almost made his career end.

A normal day like any other, it was bright, sunny and warm. Since Shadow had been working, on days that he was needed, Katie came in later in the morning, although that meant she had to work some late nights and weekends, often by herself and she missed out on some of the fun that went on. Shadow was a little slow this morning, he was tired. His allergies had returned and he spent the night scratching. Katie eventually put a cone collar on him but that didn't stop Shadow from trying.

Katie gave him a quick brush to straighten out his fur and hide some of the bald spots he had made on himself. His wounds and rashes were treated with a topical ointment and she went over him head to tail. She deemed him suitable to work but only for a half day; he would have to go to the vet to get an anti-histamine shot to calm his itching. Plus it was a warm day and it wasnt helping his stress levels.

Things were going well thus far, Shadow made few mistakes but he was dragging on and panting heavily so it was break time. She snapped on a leash to bring him outside but part way down the hall he refused and lay down, still panting. She gave him some water and he drank what he wanted and continued outside. He quickly did his thing and went back in where she let him off leash and he wandered around for a few seconds before realizing he was free and went straight to Katie's dressing room.

Katie called him back but he didn't listen, although he did acknowledge her commands. He went to her room to find it blocked with the gate. He backed up and gauged the distance to jump but he really didn't want to. He was in a half jump stance when a crew member saw him and stopped him by moving the gate for him and replacing it when he had passed through and then continued on with her duties. Katie checked in on him a bit later and he wagged his tail lightly, paired with his usual expression to greet her. She paid no mind to his half-hearted tail wag and gave him a smile before cooing "Good boy" and leaving. He stayed put, craning his neck, ears pricked to see where she was going and when she was out of sight, went to the door.

He waited a bit, looked around and huffed then gave a small bark before backing up and jumping the gate with grace. He landed quietly on the other side and took off in the direction Katie went, nose to the ground. She had stopped in the break room to grab something to eat but went out the backdoor a minute before shadow came in, surprising the others. He pinned his ears and greeted everyone quickly before leaving the way he came in, continuing his exploration. This had become like his third home and was quite comfortable with all the sights and sounds and people although all the rules still stood to prevent accidents.

Shadow eventually wandered onto a hot set and was spooked a bit when a stage hand yelled at him. Shadow ran off to avoid the problem but the stage hand chased him, despite the rule not to. Shadow was quickly cornered and was afraid; the stage hand had a broom handle, ready to hit him in anger for disturbing the hot set that the stage hand would now get blamed for. Shadow turned vicious and began growling and bearing his teeth. The stage hand wasn't too put off and felt confident that he could take on the 80lb shepherd.  
Shadow kept threatening and when the stage hand struck him, he yelped, falling to the ground. He was struck again and again out of anger but Shadow managed to get out of the way and get to his feet after the 4th hit and wasted no time in barking and snapping at the stage hand. The stage hand was startled at his response and couldn't get away fast enough and began to yell for help. He ran through the sets, Shadow hot on his heels, faster than ever even in his old age he was still fast and agile. Shadow jumped and zig-zagged through the sets, chasing the beater into a crowd of people who had heard the commotion.

They quickly gathered the situation and got out of the way. Katie had instructed to not chase him or deal with him in anyway that could be dangerous and let her handle it. She was already being paged and Shadow was mere nano seconds from springing onto the stage hand and taking him down like his police training taught him to do. Katie was running through the sound stage as fast as she could, hoping she could reach him before it was too late.

She knew that something set him off, he would only attack on his own if his or her lives were endangered. She had little time to think as she flew down the halls, nearly crying at the thought of possibly losing her best friend. She reached the set just as Shadow reached the stage hand's feet, nipping at them and trying to trip him to give Shadow an opening for a take down since he found nothing to launch over or with.

"Climb the slide!" Katie yelled out.

Shadow could scale a wall but she knew the slide would be too slippery and odd shaped for him to get a grip on to even try to climb on so the stage hand would be safe and at the same time, Shadow wouldn't injure himself. She yelled out a couple more times and the crowd followed. The stage hand finally took the hint and doubled back, nearly losing his life as Shadow jumped up, snapping at him. Katie raced towards the scene, crop and bite stick in hand, just as the stage hand jumped forward. Shadow followed blindly, jumping up after him. It was like slow motion as Katie reached out and grabbed him by the collar, knocking his jump path away from the stage hand. Shadow landed and turned around quickly ready to spring again at his prey, with not even a glance at Katie.

"Shadow, stand down!" she ordered. Almost instantly he stopped his attack and stood at her feet, panting heavily as he looked around with his normal calm and friendly demeanor. The stage hand was fished out and Shadow held no grudge, although he was wary and kept a watch. Before a discussion even started as to how or why this happened, Paul immediately went off on the stage hand. Cameras were rolling. both security and filming, and Paul saw everything.

"You're lucky you were caught in time other wise you would have been dog chow. This dog means the world to Katie and he is an important cast member for this show if you don't like him then leave. As a matter of fact, I don't want to wait around for another 'accident'. You're fired!" Paul said to a soaking wet stage hand.

Shadow was safe, much to Katie's relief but the damage had been done. He'd spend a few days on bed rest as she worked, per the vet's orders. Katie worried about his temperament, he had been beaten severely and she worried that he would be scared or aggressive. Once he went back to work a week later, he showed no fear or aggression although he was slightly nervous and had numerous breaks through out the day.

The months passed and he was soon the same old dog and acted like nothing was different and was back on the old routine and friendly with everyone. He was getting itchy again and it was near time to go for another anti-histamine shot, but until then he had to suffer through the heat and his allergies which made him a little cranky and a ban was put out to avoid all unnecessary contact. Shadow did his work and was content, he wasn't completely ignored and got several pats on the head and some good back scratches by her and some cast mates.

It was time to film a scene and Shadow was run through his part twice more to prepare and he was ready, tail down, wagging slowly. Shadow did his scene perfectly but Carlos flubbed up his line. Carlos just couldn't say one part and kept messing up but finally got it down on the 4th redo until Kendall forgot his next one. This time, Shadow only had to sit near Carlos at the pool, where he ended up after his part The scene would take off from Kendall's line, leaving Shadow to relax and take a bit of a break. Shadow was getting slightly antsy so in between takes he was given some water and a quick lap around the pool to keep the edge off. He was still itchy so when the cameras were rolling, Katie had to keep his attention on her just off camera.

They finished the scene in the next few minutes but were going to go through it once or twice more as always. Shadow was sitting next to Carlos, where he was supposed to be and leaned into Carlos when he started to pet him. Carlos heard his name called and looked up to get his next instructions, eventually letting go of Shadow to focus his attention on the person he was talking to. Shadow wandered around the set, bored as he sniffed around and settled on one of the loungers.

In a few minutes, they began to set up for the next take; Katie was in the bathroom so Hank went to get Shadow off the chair. He stopped when he saw Shadow pinning his ears and looking at him strangely, it was clear he wasn't going to move so he decided it was best to wait but that didn't stop Shadow from uttering a low growl on protest and warning. As soon as Katie came into the room Shadow stopped growling but sat firm, looking around menacingly. She was told about what was going on but wasn't shocked; it was normal. Shadow had a tendency to be territorial and dominant but she could work him over.

She signaled him to get out of the chair but he just growled even more so when she issued a voice command. The stage was quiet except for his growling and everyone kept their distance, Shadow barked in anger at her making everyone jump but Katie still had a secret weapon; a spray bottle of water. She waited to see if he would get out on his own before pulling it out so she stared at him and everyone waited as Shadow's loud growling became softer, shorter and more 'grumpy' as the two had a stare down. Katie's arms were folded as she stared him down and eventually Shadow fell silent as he flopped over on the chair, belly up. He still refused to get out of the chair so Katie pulled out the spray bottle; she didn't even have to spray it and Shadow couldn't get out fast enough.

It took a minute to round him up and calm him down so he was ready to do his thing, all the while he just kept his head on Katie's leg as a sort of apology for his behavior. She situated him in a new spot, per Paul's directions, and left him waiting for his next command. Carlos took his place next to Shadow, calling out to him to give him a pat on the head. Shadow accepted graciously and nuzzled Carlos a little bit before Shadow turned away to respond to Katie as she prepared him from a far. Carlos was ready and James took his place on the lounger before Paul called action.


	3. Chapter 2

_***AN* Ok the story starts now. It should be short, I'm not going to go into much detail after the main plot point happens, just enough to clear up some questions and it will be based on personal encounters. Enjoy.  
**_

_**Paul,the director and Hank the stage hand are fictional characters, they are the first two names that popped into my head so any similarities are purely coincidental. Paul and Hank have made appearances in previous stories and will be making future appearances as well.  
**_

_***AN* Short chapter. Next 1-2 will be longer and then the story should be done.  
**_

Shadow stood by Carlos, tail wagging slowly as he looked at Katie. Shadow was a little tired and nonchalant about his surroundings instead of focused and alert. He was panting a little and just seemed to be in his own world. He was standing between Carlos and James who was still lounging on the pool chairs, and Shadow decided to sit down himself. It wasn't long after that, when Shadow continued to lay down and fall to his side, to rest for a little.  
There was time to rest since it was another break/instructional period and Shadow took advantage and no one stopped him. Although the floor was fake, it still held a cooler temperature and felt good on his skin. He stayed quiet and actually managed to sleep through the noise for a few minutes before he was woken up and took his place. It took him a minute to get up as he gathered his bearings and managed to lift his tired self to his feet, even though he really didn't want to.  
Once on his feet, he was a bit more alert and Katie reassured him that this would be the last one and he could go take a nap. He watched and waited for his signals as Paul yelled action. They ran through the scene halfway before stopping to give Kendall a different instruction. Carlos looked down and saw Shadow standing at attention, and his movements had caught Shadow' attention and he was looking up at him so Carlos gave him a few pats on the head. Shadow turned around but came right back and looked at Carlos sternly as Carlos scratched his back.  
It wasn't unusual, Shadow would sometimes look at what someone was doing when giving him a scratch but he never got grumpy or anything. Carlos continued with petting while he focused on what was going on around him, not paying any other attention to Shadow. He stopped petting for a second and Shadow looked away but when Carlos came back, shadow had moved so he reached out to touch his tail to get his attention like normal, but instead, his reaction wasn't normal.  
With no warning what so ever, Shadow came back around, growling, barking and teeth bared as he tried to attack and chase off whatever was causing him pain. In his tizzy he didn't care what he bit as long as it was something and the closest person was James who reacted quickly by flipping himself off the lounger and turning two of them over on top of him, Shadow wasted no time and turned his attention to Carlos.  
Katie had tried calling out a stand down command but Shadow was in his own world. She grabbed her equipment to distract him and reached him just in time as he turned for Carlos. Carlos was shocked as to what was happening and tripped over his own feet, staring down Shadow's teeth. Katie poked him with an agitation stick to get his attention away from Carlos so he could get up and to safety. She swung the stick around to get shadow to focus on it and redirect his anger but he wasn't having it. She lost his interest quickly.  
Shadow ran around Katie to Carlos but Katie pushed Carlos into the water. The splash was enough to calm shadow down quite a bit and he stopped his attack as he shook off the water. He seemed calm and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, including Katie but she noticed his stance was still defensive so she cut everyone's celebration to an abrupt end. James had moved and caught Shadow's attention and Shadow went straight for him. James made it into the pool just in time and Katie managed to get a physical hold on Shadow but not without consequence.  
Shadow sunk his teeth into Katie's hand. It was quick and painless but she still felt his teeth against her skin. Shadow quickly released and backed off, his eyes, full of fear. He cowered on his belly, calm and back to normal. Katie reached out to him first, forgetting her hand for the moment to comfort her dog but Shadow ran off with his tail between his legs, ashamed of what he just did.  
She called him but just kept going so she went after him, but he turned and gave a low growl out of fear he would get punished. He indeed needed to be punished but at the same time he knew he did wrong. He ran into her dressing room and she shut the door behind him, locking him inside and she returned to the set Just as James was helping Carlos out of the pool. Both were shaken up and wet but no injuries. Katie was embarrassed and ashamed to say the least and could only cry at what just happened. She was afraid that her dog would be taken away so instead of returning to the scene she went back to her room before anyone saw her, grabbed her things and slipped out the back door; Shadow at her side.


	4. Chapter 3

_***AN* Ok the story starts now. It should be short, I'm not going to go into much detail after the main plot point happens, just enough to clear up some questions and it will be based on personal encounters. Enjoy.  
**_

_**Paul,the director and Hank the stage hand are fictional characters, they are the first two names that popped into my head so any similarities are purely coincidental. Paul and Hank have made appearances in previous stories and will be making future appearances as well.  
**_

Everyone was busy for quite a while as they discussed everything and took care of James and Carlos. Katie wasn't around but they all assumed she was just chasing after her dog and getting him settled. Words were exchanged about firing him as well as suggesting to put him down, that he was too old to work anymore. The guys were surprised at the events and were neutral about the whole thing although they didn't defend Katie or Shadow when the option to kill him came about, but who could blame them?  
Once all was settled for the moment, Katie was sent for, only to have the messenger come back empty handed.  
"She's not in her room and neither is the dog." the stage hand said  
"Is he still loose then?" Paul asked  
"I don't know, its been quiet except for us." Kendall said  
"Has anyone seen them?" Paul yelled out to the crowd  
"Nope." came one response  
"I havent." said another  
"Me neither." Carlos added.  
"Fantastic…Well, split up then and see if she needs help catching the dog. Call her to set to see if she responds at all." Paul said. Minutes later, Hank come back to check in.  
"Her stuff is gone and so is her car." Hank said.  
"What! Oh man…we need to find her before she gets herself into trouble. Call everyone to send them on a search." Paul said.  
Although most of the crowd was upset and displeased with everything that had happened, those who were close with Katie were suddenly filled with fear and a sense of guilt. They all knew how much the dog meant to her and worried she might do something drastic without thinking. Everyone got into pairs and drove off the lot as they hit all the familiar places to see if they could find Katie before it was too late.

Katie didn't know where she was going or why she was going. She was full of guilt for leaving her best friends when they could have been hurt but as grateful as she was to them for accepting her into their lives and giving her the best opportunity of her life, she just couldn't take the chance that Shadow would be taken from her. She'd rather give up the life's dream and run away then to live without her one true best friend; Shadow. She pulled into an empty parking lot and got out quickly to remove all the K-9 signs and decorations from her car, this way she would blend in more with her surroundings although she was taking a huge chance by not warning people of Shadow's presence. Katie didn't want to be found, she didn't want to risk anything.  
She sat in her car for a moment, her hand throbbing. It was the first time she looked at it since she had been bitten and it was still read and covered with blood although dried. She had some alcohol in her trunk and poured it over the wound, wincing in pain as she did so. She dried it and dressed it before getting back in her car and continuing on. Shadow was back to his old self although a little shaky when he smelled Katie's hand, he knew he did it and was still sorry but she forgave him. The wounds were small and she knew that he would have done a lot worse if it was out of hate or fear.  
She remembered feeling his teeth on her hand and how quick and painless it was. It felt like he only mouthed her and was actually surprised that he had bitten harder then she thought. As soon as Shadow felt her hand in his mouth he let go but he was just upset and needed a release. She found time to inspect him later and found some raw spots around his tail from biting himself. She figured moving the tail must have hurt which was why his tail moved so slowly for the past few days; she kicked herself for not noticing sooner to avoid all this.

After several hours, cast and crew met back at the sound stage as promised but no one had any news of her whereabouts. Her phone was off and there was no other way to reach her. A call was made to local police and they said they would be on the look out but there wasn't much else they could do at the moment. Having been in her car before, her fellow cast mates knew that all of her official equipment from work back home would have been turned off and she would have taken off all identifying tags and magnets.  
Paul sighed at the predicament and wasn't himself but he made everyone trudge through their parts anyway and hoped maybe tomorrow everything would be normal again. He dismissed everyone early and they all left quietly as they went to their own places. Since the guys were no longer teens but at the prime of their career they got their own places, within a mile from each other. Kendall still lived at home with his sister Sarah, who was away at school most of the year. Katie lived with them since she had no where to go and couldn't afford much. Kendall was devastated when he went home and found the house empty. Mrs. Knight reassured him silently as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He sighed and went to his room and fell asleep; Mrs. Knight checked on him later and covered him, wishing the best for everyone.

Katie and Shadow spent the night in her car under some brush in one of the many fields. Having a large SUV made it possible to get quite far into the field without any problem. Her car was green and hid well in the brush, although by morning the sun would glare off any exposed areas, but she was far enough away from civilization or at least the road to be noticed. Tired out from all the excitement, she managed to fall asleep quickly, despite her mind buzzing with thoughts; the gentle noises of nature lulled her to sleep.  
It was early in the morning when she awoke. She mostly slept through the night but had woken up once or twice and this time she knew she wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. The day was already starting to get a little warm and Shadow was already awake. She had no idea if he actually slept or not but figured he needed to get out of the car either way. A quick walk and both were back in the car. Katie gently guided her car out of the bushes and made her way back to the main roads before she was noticed.

Kendall awoke late the next morning, he checked his phone and saw it was well after 9am; he was due at the studio 3 hours ago. He only had one missed call and expected a lot more but was surprised that he slept through it at all. He rushed around his room as he gathered some clothes and ran out of his room in a hurry, buttoning one of his plaid shirts as he went, when his mom, James and Logan staring at him caught his attention.  
"What are you guys doing here? I know I'm late but still…"  
"Paul's worried about Katie, she didn't show up this morning so he gave us the day off." James said.  
"He said there was no point since he thought none of us, including himself would be able to think straight." Logan added  
"Wait…she's still missing?" Kendall asked sadly  
"Yeah. We tried calling her and no answer." Logan said.  
"I stayed up all night and she never showed." Mrs. Knight said. Kendall's heart sank. Without a word he left, slamming the door behind him. The others didn't have time to question him and just sat in silence. Kendall made it his mission to check anywhere and everywhere he could think of and even went as far as checking every green Dodge SUV he came across. He stopped for lunch and got a quick bite before calling all the local animal stores, groomers and kennels to put out some information to be on the look out for. He reached the edge of town and knew there was a high possibility that she went to another town but he had no idea which direction to even begin. He was low on gas so he stopped at a local station to fill up.  
The station was at the edge of town right next to one of the many fields LA had. He looked out into the barren wilderness just for something to do while he filled up. It was strangely peaceful and alluring; he was mesmerized and full of thought until the gas pump clicked off in his hand. He replaced the nozzle without a second thought, got in his car and drove off. He got onto the main road that ran parallel to the field, that was fenced in for the most part except for a few access roads, and was stopped at a read light.  
The light was long enough as it was but there was also a line of cars waiting to get through so he was going to be there for a while. He looked around a little bit, not really thinking on what he saw but rather all his other thoughts. After 2 lights, he was in the next grouping to go through. As he sat and waited he noticed some dirt in the road and followed the trail to an opening in the fence down a little ways. He paid it no mind and continued on his way once the light turned green.


	5. Chapter 4

_***AN* So this story is longer than I thought but I'm kinda liking the extra detail/ emotion that I put in. I tried to make this shorter but I guess it just wasnt meant to be. I can write shorter stories, and I have but some plot lines tend to run far in my head. I hope you enjoy either way and if you dont that's fine too.*** _

Katie hurried to the nearest fast food joint that was open for business and got herself some breakfast. She ate it in a hurry as Shadow looked her down, drooling. He was hungry too but she only gave him small amounts since he was on a strict diet. She went to the Grocery store and bought some beans that she split by hand to feed Shadow as well as some dried sweet potato. As the morning progressed and became busier, she had to stay low, she probably wouldn't be noticed but she didn't want to take the chance.  
She found it increasingly difficult to drive, her hand throbbing and swelling. She couldn't bend or grip anything and it was black and blue. The pain was enough for a quick visit to the emergency room to see what was going on. She managed to drive to the hospital, although it was difficult.  
It was quite empty in the ER, which was kind of surprising but at the same time a bit of a relief. Katie grabbed Shadow's vest from her trunk and slipped it on so he could accompany her inside without question and he would be cooler than waiting in the hot car or tied to a tree. Despite being empty, Katie still had to wait quite a bit before she was even called into a room. She tried to think of a story to tell medical staff what happened, she didn't want animal control coming to her place and seizing Shadow, it really was just an accident and it was her fault nonetheless.  
It was obvious that she got punctured by something and not knowing what kind of damage, if any there might be deep inside, she decided to go with a dog bite but changed the context of what happened. She had a few tests done first before she was escorted to x-ray. Shadow was held by a technician down the hall to keep him safe from the radiation. Katie was amused with the x-ray room, last time she had an x-ray, was quite a few years ago and things changed a bit since then. It was quicker and she was done in about 3 minutes.  
Once back in the exam room, Shadow by her side, she sat tight for a while, almost 45 minutes before a doctor came in. She had 2 broken metacarpals and a fractured proximal phalanx. The doctor was a bit surprised at the damage done and asked a few questions about the dog, although he was nonchalant about the entire thing. Katie mentioned that it was another dog and not Shadow, since he was laying down and being quiet and somewhat friendly no one would believe that he was the culprit.  
The doctor did his work, first giving her a shot of local anesthetic and while he waited for it to kick in he garnered some supplies. Katie winced in pain as he moved her hand around and shadow began to get upset. Katie stopped the doctor and told him, Shadow should be removed since he doesn't understand why I am being hurt. He called in a nurse who took Shadow but he carried on and refused to move, but that didn't stop the nurse from dragging him. Katie was worried that he was going to bite if a wrong move was made and began to panic; before she could say anything an orderly took Shadow and had a more gentle approach and Shadow went more easily.  
The anesthetic had begun to kick in and Katie hadn't noticed until she looked back around and saw the doctor fiddling with her hand. She felt pressure and movement but overall it was numb and she felt little to no pain. The doctor looked at the x-ray and felt around before setting the bones back into the proper place. The sound and feeling made Katie cringe but it was over in seconds. The doctor began setting a cast and halfway through, a nurse finished up while he attended another call.  
The nurse finished up and grabbed some fiberglass tape to decorate the outside of the cast as normal but found only neon pink, black and orange. She didn't bother asking what color Katie wanted and grabbed the hot pink. She was about to wrap when another nurse came in and commented on Katie's choice. Katie rebutted that she didn't choose it and the nurse chose it for her. The other nurse looked displeased with this and asked her what color she would like and Katie replied with green, her favorite color. The nurse came back in seconds with a brand new spool of green and replaced the other nurse to finish wrapping.  
Shadow was returned, and Katie was given instructions, discharge paperwork and prescriptions; one antibiotic and 1 pain reliever. Katie was all patched up and free to go. She returned to her car, in a better mood and made her next stop to the pharmacy to get her meds filled.

Mrs. Knight had just gotten off the phone when Kendall returned. Carlos was here instead of James and Logan who had done their own searching.  
"Kendall! Thank goodness!"  
"Any luck?"  
"No."  
"That's ok, I have a hint. Police called and said they saw her vehicle early this morning. She went to the grocery store and got some breakfast. So she is alright and still in town."  
"Where is she now?" Kendall asked hopeful.  
"I don't know, the officer that was tailing her, had another call to go to and there was no one else available to take over." Mrs. Knight responded  
"She could be anywhere by now, there is no point in looking. All we can do is hope that she will come back on her own." Carlos said  
Kendall sank on his couch, defeated and his mom comforted him, pulling him into a hug.  
"Was Shadow in the car?" Kendall asked suddenly.  
"Yes, he was." Mrs. Knight responded. "Or at least, that's what I would think. The officer said, something was moving in the car."  
Kendall perked up at that, if Shadow was still around, then there was hope that Katie would just come back on her own but that wasn't going to stop him from looking for her. James arrived shortly after, having no luck. Logan on the other hand managed to map out an area based on locations she had been to and where she might go for things she needed. She wasn't too far off from the studio and was in the busiest sections of town, just below the mountain of the Hollywood sign. Even though LA was a busy place, there was still a moment of silence at night when nothing was going on, unlike New York or Las Vegas. With the help from police they scoped out an area and took there positions, police taking the more dangerous areas known for drugs and other gang battles.  
The police didn't have much time to devote just to finding Katie but in between rounds and calls they put in some search effort. It was hours before they called in noticing 'suspicious activity' and investigated an area of brush. The area was disturbed on a large scale, bigger than an animal, plus there were dog prints in the dirt and some human tracks. They called in the information and a stakeout was planned.  
A little after 10pm a vehicle, matching Katie's car came slowly down the road, unaware of the undercover officers in unmarked cars that lined the street. They blended in well since the road was residential and often had cars on it. Officers couldn't see the license plate on the car to get an exact match but the car slowed down anyway to make the turn into the field. They watched as it circled the bramble and backed in, perfectly. They waited and saw a person get out followed by a dark animal, confident that it was Katie they made their moves quickly but quietly to avoid spooking wither her or the dog. Kendall, Carlos and Mrs. Knight were waiting nearby when they heard an officer radio in to the officer they were waiting with. They were forced to wait even though they were ready to jump out of their seats.  
They surrounded the entrance and a few went in to surround the car, Shadow let out a warning bark to alert Katie and she turned around scared for her life when she saw people in civilian clothes running towards her. She jumped into her car and tried to start it but fumbled with her keys. The officers ran towards her and opened the door and she screamed for her life before Shadow took over. He wasted no time and jumped over Katie, taking down the first assailant. The scene quickly became loud and busy as more people arrived and Katie still scared, she stood in fear and didn't notice being dragged from the car. Shadow yelping in pain made her aware of the situation as she screamed for her beloved dog who was flailing on the ground whimpering.  
She broke free from her captor without struggle and went straight for her dog who immediately hid in her arms, afraid himself. The calm was broken when footsteps behind her got closer. The captors ID'd themselves as police officers and her heart sunk but at the same time she panicked, Shadow just attack one of them and was probably going to be put down. She wanted to run but was too afraid and just sank to her knees, crying like never before, cradling Shadow who was no longer moving.


	6. Chapter 5

_***AN* So this story is longer than I thought but I'm kinda liking the extra detail/ emotion that I put in. I tried to make this shorter but I guess it just wasnt meant to be. I can write shorter stories, and I have but some plot lines tend to run far in my head. I hope you enjoy either way and if you dont that's fine too.***_

_***So I woke up to continue work on the story and this is what i got; an abrupt kind of ending. It kinda works for me but at the same time I feel like I am missing a huge chunk of the story but I'm not sure. Please let me know what you think and I might change it or ad another chapter. Or i could just leave it the way it is. Either way I would like some feedback, anything really could be on the story as a whole, parts of it or whatever.*  
**_

_****_Mrs. Knight was told to go ahead, while the others stayed behind. James and Logan showed up shortly after Carlos texted them the news, and waited with the officers nearby. Katie was escorted out of the field, Shadow being carried by an officer, and led to a police cruiser where Mrs. Knight was waiting. Despite officers orders, as soon as they saw Katie, they broke free and swarmed her in a hug. She hugged back and held tight as she cried. They assured her everything was alright, they weren't mad and nothing would change. They apologized for what happened but had questions of their own when they saw her cast.  
Katie explained but was adamant about Shadow's future, saying everything was fine and it was just an accident, which it was. The group was broken up quickly by an upset Shadow and an officer yelling. Shadow, had woken up from his tazered induced black-out and was confused and a little pissed off, as he tried to take it out on the first thing he saw. Katie raced over, the guys on her heels and Shadow greeted her with his happy go lucky attitude and turned on the charm. She hugged his neck, making him choke and cough a little from the force but his tail was wagging anyway.  
Things returned to normal pretty quickly. After a few days rest at home, both Shadow and Katie were back to their old selves. Katie still had some pain and it would take a few weeks to heal yet but she was still as active as ever. Shadow took his place by her side at all times and helped her with common things around the house. Having only one hand at the moment, made it difficult to do normal things so instead of relying on her cast mates or Mrs. Knight, Shadow became like a temporary service dog as he picked up different items and helped with other daily activities.  
Katie returned to filming almost immediately after her rest and Shadow was by her side, his behavior and attitude were the same and acted like nothing ever happened. Deemed an accident because of the evidence given, Shadow was allowed to return to filming. Mostly everyone was wary for a few days, and that caused Shadow to be a bit nervous but in time Shadow was the loved pup among everyone again and this time all was well.


End file.
